Walter Rubenstein, Clinton's lawyer, said the large volume of written material in the case accounted for the delay. Rubenstein asked for additional time to await gunshot residue and ballistics testing but Judge Robert LaForge ordered the case to move forward.

Valencia's family members looked on as Clinton stood in a blue jail uniform and responded, "Yes" when asked if his plea was not guilty to all three counts.

Outside court, Rubenstein said Clinton was trying to "get his life together" when the shooting occurred. He said Clinton is a family man "who had just moved to Santa Rosa from elsewhere in the Bay Area.

Valencia's family left the courtroom without commenting.

Police accuse Clinton of shooting Valencia in the face during an altercation outside a house on Cumberland Street and Homestead Lane at about 2 a.m.

Valencia, his brother and two friends had just dropped off some women after a night of clubbing and were waiting for some of them to return when a van pulled up, shining its lights at them, the brother said.

Valencia got out of the car and exchanged words with the driver, who went into a nearby house and emerged with a gun.

He waved it around before shooting Valencia in the face, according to police. The gunman, later identified as Clinton, then fled down Highway 101 and was caught the same day in Marin County.

It remained unclear Tuesday whether the two men knew each other or what caused the confrontation.